Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Jet fuel prices on Wednesday soared to record high levels across the country after rates were increased by 5.2 per cent in line with a rise in international oil prices.

This is the fourth hike in jet fuel or Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices in less than two months following a spike in global oil prices but petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged for a record 103rd day in a row, coinciding with electioneering to elect new governments in states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

KABUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Afghans came to the street in the capital Kabul on Tuesday, condemning the recent U.S. decision regarding the frozen Afghan assets as unjust and open stealing, and calling on Washington to return the assets of more than 9 billion U.S. dollars to the war-torn country.

BANDUNG, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian court on Tuesday sentenced an Islamic boarding school principal to life in prison for raping at least 13 students over five years and impregnating some of them.

The principal of the girls school in West Java’s Bandung city, Herry Wirawan, pleaded guilty and apologized to his victims and their families during the trial.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan has undergone a dramatic transformation in half a year of Taliban rule.

The country feels safer, less violent than it has in decades, but the once aid-fueled economy is barreling toward collapse. Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled or have been evacuated, including large numbers of educated elites. They either fear for their economic future or lack of freedom under a group that ascribes to a strict interpretation of Islam. During its previous rule in the late 1990s, the Taliban barred girls from school and women from work.

15 Feb 2022; MEMO: The US administration of President Joe Biden has warned Israel that continuous tension in Jerusalem might lead the region to possible war as Muslim, Jewish and Christian holidays confluence in April, the Times of Israel reported yesterday.

Kanpur: In a shocking incident, a girl from Govind Nagar here, who protested against eve-teasing, was attacked by a few drunkards.

The miscreants also attacked the neighbour who came to rescue her.

She sustained severe head injuries after she was allegedly hit with a bottle on her head.

The Police has registered a case under sections 294,323, and 504 of the IPC.

Although the girl was assaulted by the accused, the FIR has been registered under sections of bailable offence and no section of molestation.

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who resigned from the Congress on Tuesday in the midst of the election cycle, said the grand old party had lost touch with the ground reality and no longer reflected the national mood.

In a no-holds-barred interview to PTI after quitting the Congress, the 69-year-old former Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab said he had reached his limits of perseverance in the party, which, he said, lacked inspirational leadership and is facing an existential challenge.

New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) Retail inflation rose to 6.01 per cent in January on an annual basis and breached the RBI's upper tolerance level, mainly due to higher prices of certain food items, as per government data released on Monday.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based retail inflation was 5.66 per cent in December 2021 and 4.06 per cent in January 2021.

Lucknow, Feb 14 (PTI) The Samajwadi Party on Monday urged the Election Commission to transfer IG, Lucknow Range, Laxmi Singh for allegedly forcing people to vote for her husband who is contesting the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on a BJP ticket.

In a letter sent to the poll panel by SP state president Naresh Uttam Patel, he said the police official was affecting the polls by asking people to vote for her husband, Rajeshwar Singh, and that she should be transferred to some other district.

Patna, Feb 14 (PTI) Downplaying the ongoing hijab (headscarf) controversy in Karnataka, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said it is not an issue in his state where religious sentiments are respected.

If someone puts something on the head in a classroom, there is no need to comment on it, Kumar told reporters at a programme.

This is not an issue in Bihar, we should not focus on such things.... It's useless," he said.

The matter has gone to court, said Kumar.